1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tablet packing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a medicine packing apparatus in which tablets and powder are dispensed in accordance with a prescription data and packed in a packing sheet by one dose and in a tablet packing apparatus in which tablets are dispensed and filled in a vial, there is provided a tablet cassette shelf on which a plurality of tablet cassettes containing different kinds of tablets respectively are mounted so that the tablets are dispensed one by one. In a back side plate of the tablet cassette shelf, there are provided tablet outlets that extend obliquely downward from the tablet cassettes and tablet drop guide paths that guide the tablets as they drop from the tablet outlets.
The tablet drop guide paths have three disadvantages. Firstly, a tablet that is dropping along the tablet drop guide path likely falls on an inclined plane of the tablet outlet of the lower tablet cassette and bounces upward, causing the drop of the tablet to be delayed. As a result, the tablet is not ready in time for packing and is packed in a subsequent package. Secondly, the tablet bounced on the inclined plane of the tablet outlet is likely detected by a sensor disposed in the tablet outlet, causing a false indication that the tablet has been discharged from the tablet outlet. To these disadvantages, an applicant of the present application has disclosed an idea in which a sheet member for covering the tablet outlet is attached on the upper edge of the tablet outlet in the tablet drop guide path so that the tablet dropping along the tablet drop guide path never falls on an inclined plane of the tablet outlet (for example, see Japanese journal of Technical Disclosure No. 97-6113). Thirdly, the tablet that exited from the tablet outlet bounces between the back side plate and a rear wall opposing the tablet outlet and drops, making the dropping time longer. As a result, the tablet is also not ready in time for packing and is packed in a subsequent package. To address this disadvantage, there has been proposed an idea in which a soft sheet is suspended in the tablet drop guide path so that the tablets hit on the soft sheet (for example, see Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. H2-15761).
However, in the idea in which the sheet member is attached on the tablet outlet, the sheet will likely cling to the back side plate in a dry state during the winter, thereby causing the small tablet to be collected therein. Further, when cleaning the tablet drop guide path and the light sensor in the tablet outlet using a brush or the like, the sheet member is likely deformed so as to lose the original function of the sheet member, resulting in a lot of time being required to repair it. On the other hand, in accordance with the arrangement in which the soft sheet is suspended in the tablet drop guide path, as a weight is attached on the lower end of the soft sheet, the soft sheet is apt to hold the vertical. Therefore, the light tablet bounces on the soft sheet, causing the same disadvantages as in the conventional arrangement.